Мишель Роуэн - Tall, Dark & Fangsome

“When I sink my fangs in your neck and suck the life out of you? I’m actually looking forward to it.”

His smile reappeared at my false bravado. “Sure you are.”

“I am. I mean, how many vampires can say they were able to chomp on Gideon Chase with his full permission? I should have promotional postcards made up, or something.”

He pressed his lips together for a moment. “I do have some concerns.”

“The fact that I have to keep my fangs in your neck for a few minutes before I can properly vampify you? Is there a little fear creeping in at the sides, Gideon?”

“No. It’s actually the fact that you’ve only consumed the blood of two master vampires.

My research leads me to believe that might not be enough to gain enough power to fully heal me.”

I nodded. “Well, in that case, you can feel free to find someone else for the job.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine, but I do feel some anxiety.”

“Gideon Chase, anxious? Wherever is my camera?”

He rose from his chair to pull the blinds away from the window. He was quite an imposing man, even without taking his reputation into account. Beautiful women from around the world had allegedly flocked for the chance to spend time with him in the past, and it hadn’t only been because he was a billionaire.

Flocked.

He turned and moved toward me.

I took a step backward.

“I have something for you,” he said.

I took another step back until I bumped up against the door.

He held up a hand. “Don’t panic. It’s something nonthreatening, I promise.”

“Why do I find that hard to believe?”

He moved toward the table next to his king-sized bed to grab a small fabric bag, which he brought over to me. “A gift for you.”

I hesitated, then took it from him. I opened it up to find a pair of earrings inside. Diamond earrings. Big diamond earrings.

“What is this?”

He raised an eyebrow. “They’re diamond earrings.”

“I can see that. But why are you giving them to me?”

“As a show of appreciation for everything you’ve endured so far. I know it hasn’t been easy for you. I can be a bit of a—”

“Insanely evil villain?” I finished.

“I was going for ‘pain in the ass,’ but you can finish the sentence any way you like.” A smile that I was quite sure had melted the panties off many a socialite in the past spread across his handsome features.

“I can’t accept them.” With a twinge of regret—I mean, come on, diamond earrings!—I gave them back to him.

He nodded. “Then I’ll have to find something else you can’t turn down so easily, won’t I?”

There was a buzzing sound and Gideon fished into the pocket of his pants to draw out a BlackBerry. He glanced at the screen and then put it away again.

My focus had narrowed on the device. I wondered if the names and phone numbers of his contacts were in it. That would be very helpful.

“So, Sarah, did you have a good time at the nightclub tonight with George and Amy?”

Gideon asked.

A shiver went down my spine. Had a spy just reported in regarding my whereabouts for the evening? And if so, what else had been observed? My stomach churned thinking that

Thierry and I had been spotted together. Gideon was being all gift-giving and amiable right now, but I knew better than to push him.

“I had a great time,” I replied. “Amy set me up on a blind date. But don’t go getting all jealous. He’s in human resources. And it’s very possible he prefers men.”

“How is the Red Devil?” he asked evenly. “He stopped you from giving in to your nightwalker instincts, right?”

I spy with my little eye… somebody that is screwed.

“He’s just peachy.” I touched my chain. “Obviously when trying to keep her dark side at bay, a lady should never leave home without her accessories, should she?”

“Why is he here?”

“He’s not much of a talker.”

“What does he look like?”

I chewed my bottom lip. “He was wearing a mask. Plus, I was dealing with a little case of bloodlust at the time, so my vision was a tad fuzzy. He’s tall, that’s all I know.”

“You need to be very careful around him.”

That surprised me. “Around him? This advice coming from the man who bankrolls the wooden stake carriers of America?”

“If this is the true Red Devil, then he is very dangerous. Very unpredictable. I know a great deal about him, enough to know he’s a threat to anyone who crosses his path.”

“So am I when I’m not wearing my chain.”

“It’s different. The Red Devil, whoever he really is, has killed many over his long lifetime—both hunters and vampires. It would have been safer for everyone if he’d stayed away.” He shook his head at my skeptical look. “I know you see hunters, including me, as evil, but I think you know very well that it’s not always the case. There are many hunters who only want to keep the world safe from evil predators.”

“The Red Devil is not an evil predator,” I said firmly.

“Are you sure about that?” He walked to the other side of the room to look out at the view past the balcony. His newly perfected reflection showed up in the glass door.

I shifted my feet but didn’t answer him. I really didn’t know the Red Devil from Adam, as the saying went. All I knew was that Thierry trusted him.

Thierry. If he knew I was having a friendly convo with Gideon in his hotel room, all alone, he’d probably have a conniption.

“I do have something else for you,” Gideon said. “I wasn’t going to mention it yet, but since you didn’t like my earrings…”

“I won’t like anything else you got off the Shopping Network, either. Just an FYI.”

He shrugged. “Maybe you’re right. It’s nothing really. Only the grimoire of the witch who cursed you. The book in which she recorded all of her spells, including the one she used on you.”

All the breath left me in a rush. That was the last thing I had expected him to say. “The witch you killed, you mean.”

“She was evil,” he said firmly.

“And it’s great that you’ve appointed yourself judge, jury, and executioner.”

“You’re entitled to your opinion. But it doesn’t change the fact that I have her magic book. And in it is the incantation to remove that pesky little curse of yours.”

My heartbeat quickened. “You’re kidding me.”

He shook his head. “Not kidding.”

“Where is it?” I scanned the room.

“Somewhere safe. And you can have it for giving me something in return.”

I eyed him with equal parts skepticism and hope. “What do you want?”

“The Red Devil.”

My stomach did a backflip worthy of an Olympic gymnast. “What do you want with him?”

“You’re not that naïve, Sarah.”

I raised my eyebrows. “You obviously overestimate me.”

“I want to slay him. I want to stop him from doing any harm to others now that he’s chosen to return to the public eye.”

“So the only way you’ll give me the grimoire is if I help you kill the Red Devil?” I wanted to make sure I understood him properly.

“That’s right.”

My small piece of shiny hope flittered away. “Don’t you have more important things to be thinking about right now?”

He let out a long, shaky sigh. “Actually, I could use the distraction. I need a new challenge to concentrate on. To defeat the Red Devil—a vampire whose reputation others have raised to mythic proportions—would be my greatest accomplishment.” He blinked. “Other than that demon in Vegas, of course. As you can probably imagine, it’s not exactly a memory I currently cherish.”

The grimoire. The answer to all of my nightwalker problems. “I don’t know, Gideon—”